Canadian Multiyear Immigration Plan: 1.3M Immigrants by 2021

The Canadian Government has released its multi-year Immigration Levels Plan and they have extended it to year 2021. Canada will welcome 310,000 new permanent residents in 2018, 330,000 in 2019, 340,000 in 2020 and 350,000 in 2021. That is a total of over 1.3 million immigrants by 2021.

“Under this plan, Canada will welcome more talented workers with the skills and expertise our economy needs, reunite more family members and accommodate more refugees looking to start new lives,” Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC), Ahmed Hussen, said in his introduction to the IRCC’s 2017 report to the Parliament.

The growing immigration levels will help the existing challenges of having an aging population and a declining birth rate in Canada. In fact, the provinces and territories across the country badly need skilled immigrants which led to the need for skilled workers to be prioritized under the Economic Immigration plan.

It has been reported that the Federal Express Entry System and Provincial Nominee Program are the main source of economic immigration in Canada. Thus, most of the permanent residents will be invited through these program in the next few months.

Lastly, the new plan reflects the federal government’s commitment to family reunification. IRCC is expected to expand the range of potential admissions though its Spouse, Partners and Children sponsorship category and its Parents and Grandparents sponsorship program.